NS spending over €400 million on 36 new sprinter trains

NS is set to acquire 36 new Sprinter trains at a cost of more than 400 million euros. Dubbed Flirt Flex, these cutting-edge trains will return to the traditional yellow-and-blue NS livery, unlike the current Sprinter fleet. They are scheduled to start running on the Netherlands’ rail network in 2030.

NS says the new trains will be versatile, capable of operating both as Sprinters and as Intercity services, giving the company flexibility to meet rising passenger demand. The order was placed with Swiss manufacturer Stadler, which has a history of producing Sprinters for NS.

Wouter Koolmees, NS director, calls the new trains an asset to the current fleet. “Yellow-and-blue trains have been part of the Netherlands for decades, and we want to keep it that way. That’s why we have invested billions of euros in new trains over the past years, so that our passengers can still enjoy a reliable and sustainable journey thirty years from now,” he said.

Following this latest order, 205 new trains will soon operate on the Netherlands’ rail network. The fleet includes 60 new double-decker trains (DDNG) built by Spanish manufacturer CAF and 109 Intercity trains (ICNG) from French company Alstom. Altogether, more than 2 billion euros are being invested in these new trains.

The new sprinter trains can reach speeds of 160 kilometers per hour. With 36 units on order, they provide more than 8,000 seats in total.

NS faced train delivery delays earlier this year. The new double-decker trains that were ordered are now expected to start operating in 2029, a year behind schedule. Deliveries of intercity trains from Alstom were also delayed.